Mark Osborne
Vice President
Lot 49
With Evan Wilcox hand-formed aluminum bodywork,1959 Ducati 175cc 'Dustbin' Special
Frame no. CA967744 Engine no. 77126
Amended
7 January 2016, 11:00 PST
Las Vegas, Bally's Hotel & CasinoSold for US$26,450 inc. premium
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Ben Walker
Department Director
With Evan Wilcox hand-formed aluminum bodywork
1959 Ducati 175cc 'Dustbin' Special
Frame no. CA967744
Engine no. 77126
1959 Ducati 175cc 'Dustbin' Special
Frame no. CA967744
Engine no. 77126
When it comes to alloy artistry on two wheels there's one name that springs to mind: Evan Wilcox of Hand Formed Metal out of Ukiah, California, a one-man operation with about a year's backlog of customers waiting patiently for his hand-pounded gas tanks and tail sections. Wilcox's work is all-consuming. He only tackles one project at a time, toiling away at it exclusively until the aluminum arrives at the desired shape.
If a typical Wilcox gas tank takes 40-50 hours to complete, imagine, then, the labor involved in bringing this machine to fruition. A passion project he built for himself, it's powered by a 1959 Ducati 175 single, wrapped in all-enclosing aluminum bodywork inspired by old Grand Prix road racers. The 'jelly mold' fuel tank with wraparound rear cowl, its shapely flanks broken up by a series of ridges, and Wilcox's rendition of the classically aerodynamic 'dustbin' fairing.
Behind Wilcox's handiwork is a fairly standard Ducati chassis with glorious 175cc OHC bevel drive single. A cadre of engine specialists built a 'bulletproof' powerplant for his streamlined alloy flyer. Pete Fisher at Powroll genned up a crankshaft from a modern four-stroke MXer to work with machined Ducati flywheels. A modified Megacycle camshaft opens and closes valves, and the late Kenny Augustine worked his flow magic on the top end. It beathes through a Mikuni carburetor for easy starting and smooth running, important because this bike is most definitely not a concours queen, but a rally star completing numerous three-day, 750-mile California flogs, plus two Moto Giro d'California.
Saleroom notices
The screen for this motorcycle was damaged in transport, but will be replaced at no cost to the buyer post-sale